ATAR Notes: Forum

General Discussion => Accountability and Motivation => Topic started by: Joseph41 on January 12, 2021, 05:05:37 pm

Title: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 12, 2021, 05:05:37 pm
Hello!

Wasn't really sure where to put this - have settled on this board in more of a motivation sense and less of an accountability one.

I first learnt how to solve a Rubik's cube in about 2010; one of my friends was extremely good at it - and quick! Since then, I've just sort of solved very casually here and there.

Over the last few months I've developed more of an interest in it, and have got my single PB down to 27.97 seconds, which is not at all quick in speedcubing terms (world record is like 3.47 seconds lol), but something I'm proud of.

I'm using beginner techniques at the moment, and to make any real progress, I think I'm going to need to learn a new (to me) method called CFOP, which basically solves the first two layers simultaneously. I'm currently solving it layer by layer, so CFOP could lead to some big time gains - but I think it'll be difficult to learn.

Anyway, I guess the point of this thread is to kinda keep a record of progress or challenges or whatever, and also to see if anybody else happens to be interested in it!

Wahoo!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Sine on January 12, 2021, 05:21:32 pm
I think I also first solved a Rubik's cube around 2010/2011 and was a bit into it around then for a while (also getting 4x4, 5x5 cubes etc). Although recently haven't really done much, but it is something you don't forget.

CFOP sounds familiar to me but I don't think I ever learnt it properly so I was mainly doing it layer by layer like you. Which kinda puts a limit on your times unless you get super lucky.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on January 12, 2021, 06:07:40 pm
Hey there!
This thread is such a coincidence for me because I literally started learning how to solve a Rubik’s cube a month ago! I spent about eight hours from morning til night racking my brain watching YouTube videos trying to learn how to solve one. It was so worth it though!

Hello!

Wasn't really sure where to put this - have settled on this board in more of a motivation sense and less of an accountability one.

I first learnt how to solve a Rubik's cube in about 2010; one of my friends was extremely good at it - and quick! Since then, I've just sort of solved very casually here and there.

Over the last few months I've developed more of an interest in it, and have got my single PB down to 27.97 seconds, which is not at all quick in speedcubing terms (world record is like 3.47 seconds lol), but something I'm proud of.

I'm using beginner techniques at the moment, and to make any real progress, I think I'm going to need to learn a new (to me) method called CFOP, which basically solves the first two layers simultaneously. I'm currently solving it layer by layer, so CFOP could lead to some big time gains - but I think it'll be difficult to learn.

Anyway, I guess the point of this thread is to kinda keep a record of progress or challenges or whatever, and also to see if anybody else happens to be interested in it!

Wahoo!

It sounds like I need to keep practising! I have only managed to bring my overall time down to 3ish minutes.. :P
This thread sounds awesome and I’m really looking forward to seeing how quickly you develop your speed cubing skills!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 12, 2021, 06:33:30 pm
I think I also first solved a Rubik's cube around 2010/2011 and was a bit into it around then for a while (also getting 4x4, 5x5 cubes etc). Although recently haven't really done much, but it is something you don't forget.

CFOP sounds familiar to me but I don't think I ever learnt it properly so I was mainly doing it layer by layer like you. Which kinda puts a limit on your times unless you get super lucky.

I have a 2x2 and a 4x4 (and also a megaminx), but can't quite recall how to solve the first two (would just need a quick refresher, but was never quick with either), and have never fully solved the megaminx lol. In fact, here's what I have atm (some details/terminology might be a bit off):

Spoiler
* 2x2x2 MoYu LingPo (white)
* 3x3x3 DaYan 5 ZhanChi - my first ever cube (black)
* 3x3x3 MoYu WeiLong V1 (black)
* 3x3x3 MoYu AoLong V2 (black)
* 3x3x3 Gan Ganspuzzle 357 - think it's a III, but not sure (white)
* 3x3x3 MoYu AoLong V2 (stickerless pink)
* 3x3x3 DaYan TengYun - magnetic (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 MoFang JiaoShi RS3M 2020 magnetic (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 QiYi Warrior S (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 MoFang JiaoShi Mini - 45mm (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 GoCube Edge Smart Cube
* 4x4x4 YJ MoYu AoSu (black)
* Megaminx - unknown details (bought overseas)

The community has completely exploded since like ten years ago. Speedcubing is a massive thing now. Do you plan to get into it more at all?

Hey there!
This thread is such a coincidence for me because I literally started learning how to solve a Rubik’s cube a month ago! I spent about eight hours from morning til night racking my brain watching YouTube videos trying to learn how to solve one. It was so worth it though!

It sounds like I need to keep practising! I have only managed to bring my overall time down to 3ish minutes.. :P
This thread sounds awesome and I’m really looking forward to seeing how quickly you develop your speed cubing skills!


Awesome! That sounds like great progress to me. What method do you use/how are you solving it? And what type of cube?

Keen to hear your progress also - maybe we can motivate each other! Haha.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Sine on January 12, 2021, 10:04:01 pm
The community has completely exploded since like ten years ago. Speedcubing is a massive thing now. Do you plan to get into it more at all?
Maybe not at the moment but definitely open to getting back into it at some point.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: hums_student on January 13, 2021, 01:38:00 pm
That's a really impressive PB! Especially considering you're not using CFOP.

I always do F2L, then the beginner method for the final layer unless I get a pattern I know the algorithms to. There are simply too many OLL/PLL algorithms for my puny brain to remember.

I got a GAN356 V2 for Christmas after more than two years' hiatus from cubing and was surprised that I still have the muscle memory to solve it, though admittedly much slower than before. Getting back into cubing was definitely on my 2021 new years resolutions.

Are you colour neutral by the way?
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Poet on January 13, 2021, 01:46:14 pm
/snip/
27.97 seconds is genuinely an impressive effort! My little brother has been into speedcubing for two or so years now (very casually), and I always find myself completely lost when he tries to explain the algorithms involved. It does seem like it mostly comes down to memory and association, though.

I'm not sure if you've already been through this, but the steps of the CFOP method are laid out in this literal Wikipedia for Rubik's - I think my brother found it helpful :))
https://ruwix.com/the-rubiks-cube/advanced-cfop-fridrich/

So many permutations to remember though! So good luck!!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 13, 2021, 01:49:37 pm
That's a really impressive PB! Especially considering you're not using CFOP.

I always do F2L, then the beginner method for the final layer unless I get a pattern I know the algorithms to. There are simply too many OLL/PLL algorithms for my puny brain to remember.

I got a GAN356 V2 for Christmas after more than two years' hiatus from cubing and was surprised that I still have the muscle memory to solve it, though admittedly much slower than before. Getting back into cubing was definitely on my 2021 new years resolutions.

Are you colour neutral by the way?

Cheers! I enjoyed reading this post. :)

I'm pleased with the PB for now but feel quite limited without CFOP. How long did you take you to learn? I don't even want to think about OLL/PLL yet lol.

How's the GAN? Looks like a great cube. What have you used as your main historically (or atm - I imagine the GAN?)?

Colour neutral - yes, but kinda default to white, so idk if that actually makes me neutral haha. Like I'm happy to search for the easiest colour and try to do that, but find white easiest to recognise still (EDIT: just had a weird flashback to something I'd completely forgotten - in 2010, I solved only for green!). So maybe not really, but getting there? Haha.

P.S. What kinda times are we talking?

27.97 seconds is genuinely an impressive effort! My little brother has been into speedcubing for two or so years now (very casually), and I always find myself completely lost when he tries to explain the algorithms involved. It does seem like it mostly comes down to memory and association, though.

I'm not sure if you've already been through this, but the steps of the CFOP method are laid out in this literal Wikipedia for Rubik's - I think my brother found it helpful :))
https://ruwix.com/the-rubiks-cube/advanced-cfop-fridrich/

So many permutations to remember though! So good luck!!

Thanks Poet! Would love any pearls of wisdom if your brother has any haha.

The algs are interesting. Like when I was first learning, I thought the whole thing was some sort of weird magic. But then you learn them and they seem completely normal - but now I'm back at the whole magic thing with CFOP lol.

Thanks for the link. :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: hums_student on January 13, 2021, 02:18:02 pm
IIRC F2L wasn't too difficult - I think it took me maybe an hour? For me, I think it's easier to learn F2L by intuition rather than trying to remember the algorithms. OLL/PLL on the other hand... yikes.

The GAN's brilliant. I think the best part is its corner cutting (in comparison to my previous cubes anyway). It's also a lot quieter which I'm sure my roommates would be thankful for. Apparently it's also highly customisable but I haven't tried anything yet. Back when I was really into cubing, my main was the MoYu AoLong V2.

Haha I'm the same - technically colour neutral as in I can start on different colours but I do have a default (I learnt on red lol, so that's my default colour). My PB is 23.7 but I got lucky with the final layer.

The algs are interesting. Like when I was first learning, I thought the whole thing was some sort of weird magic. But then you learn them and they seem completely normal - but now I'm back at the whole magic thing with CFOP lol.

Haha same for me too. Before I knew how to cube, I used to tell my cubing friends to turn around while I scrambled because I thought if they looked they would be cheating. It was an epiphany moment when I realised how it actually worked.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: angrybiscuit on January 13, 2021, 04:11:20 pm
I've been stuck at around 55 seconds using a beginner algorithm years and years ago! It's the algorithm I'm sure everyone starts with...

Does anyone have any suggestions on algorithms I should learn/adopt to cut down my time?
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on January 13, 2021, 05:25:38 pm
I have a 2x2 and a 4x4 (and also a megaminx), but can't quite recall how to solve the first two (would just need a quick refresher, but was never quick with either), and have never fully solved the megaminx lol. In fact, here's what I have atm (some details/terminology might be a bit off):

Spoiler
* 2x2x2 MoYu LingPo (white)
* 3x3x3 DaYan 5 ZhanChi - my first ever cube (black)
* 3x3x3 MoYu WeiLong V1 (black)
* 3x3x3 MoYu AoLong V2 (black)
* 3x3x3 Gan Ganspuzzle 357 - think it's a III, but not sure (white)
* 3x3x3 MoYu AoLong V2 (stickerless pink)
* 3x3x3 DaYan TengYun - magnetic (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 MoFang JiaoShi RS3M 2020 magnetic (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 QiYi Warrior S (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 MoFang JiaoShi Mini - 45mm (stickerless)
* 3x3x3 GoCube Edge Smart Cube
* 4x4x4 YJ MoYu AoSu (black)
* Megaminx - unknown details (bought overseas)

The community has completely exploded since like ten years ago. Speedcubing is a massive thing now. Do you plan to get into it more at all?

Awesome! That sounds like great progress to me. What method do you use/how are you solving it? And what type of cube?

Keen to hear your progress also - maybe we can motivate each other! Haha.

To be honest, I’m not quite sure what the name of the method is.. I just looked up solutions on YouTube and followed the first one that came up. It was a video made by Brightside… I think I should probably try researching some different solutions to see if I can find anything else that is more time efficient.

Do you guys have any recommendations?
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: K888 on January 13, 2021, 07:35:35 pm
I've never solved a rubik's cube, but I am full of admiration for anyone who has!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 14, 2021, 11:14:14 am
IIRC F2L wasn't too difficult - I think it took me maybe an hour? For me, I think it's easier to learn F2L by intuition rather than trying to remember the algorithms. OLL/PLL on the other hand... yikes.

The GAN's brilliant. I think the best part is its corner cutting (in comparison to my previous cubes anyway). It's also a lot quieter which I'm sure my roommates would be thankful for. Apparently it's also highly customisable but I haven't tried anything yet. Back when I was really into cubing, my main was the MoYu AoLong V2.

Haha I'm the same - technically colour neutral as in I can start on different colours but I do have a default (I learnt on red lol, so that's my default colour). My PB is 23.7 but I got lucky with the final layer.

Haha same for me too. Before I knew how to cube, I used to tell my cubing friends to turn around while I scrambled because I thought if they looked they would be cheating. It was an epiphany moment when I realised how it actually worked.

An hour?! Yikes - impressive! I can fairly intuitively get some pairs but am struggling with others (white on top, or when the corner and edge piece are correctly located but facing the wrong way). Any tips? Haha.

Yeah, I love quiet cubes. I bought a magnetic DaYan TengYun recently (think it's a V2), and it's by far the quietest cube I own. Love it.

Huge PB (and I reckon most PBs would have some sort of lucky scramble lol).

I've been stuck at around 55 seconds using a beginner algorithm years and years ago! It's the algorithm I'm sure everyone starts with...

Does anyone have any suggestions on algorithms I should learn/adopt to cut down my time?

55 seconds - nice one! I was stuck at that mark for ages, too. Are you using finger tricks at the moment, or are you like re-positioning your hands on the cubes to make turns? I hope that makes sense haha.

To be honest, I’m not quite sure what the name of the method is.. I just looked up solutions on YouTube and followed the first one that came up. It was a video made by Brightside… I think I should probably try researching some different solutions to see if I can find anything else that is more time efficient.

Do you guys have any recommendations?

Same question as above! Are you using finger tricks? They really helped to bring down my times.

Otherwise, I think my biggest improvements recently have been based on the cross - so planning ahead your moves to try to get the cross finished as efficiently as possible. I was eating up a lot of time because I hadn't properly planned ahead through inspection (still a work in progress!).

I've never solved a rubik's cube, but I am full of admiration for anyone who has!

😍
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: hums_student on January 15, 2021, 10:42:13 am
An hour?! Yikes - impressive! I can fairly intuitively get some pairs but am struggling with others (white on top, or when the corner and edge piece are correctly located but facing the wrong way). Any tips? Haha.

White on top is my favourite hahaha.

example
(https://i.imgur.com/eXDn8Yw.jpg)
Using red/blue as an example (pretty sure the corner piece on the left is white/blue/red. Found this picture randomly so I can't be sure lol)
1. Match the blue on the blue/red side piece with the blue centre piece (already pictured)
2. Now the colour facing top on the red/blue side piece is red. Use R' to turn it away from the red side, so now blue's still matching with blue but red is matching with orange.
3. U' so that the white/blue/red corner piece is right next to the blue/red side piece
4. R so that both pieces are next to each other on top.
5. Insert

Algorithms (white side facing down, orange side facing you): R' U' R U' R' U R

Love quiet cubes too. I must check out the one you got!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 15, 2021, 10:55:14 am
White on top is my favourite hahaha.

example
(https://i.imgur.com/eXDn8Yw.jpg)
Using red/blue as an example (pretty sure the corner piece on the left is white/blue/red. Found this picture randomly so I can't be sure lol)
1. Match the blue on the blue/red side piece with the blue centre piece (already pictured)
2. Now the colour facing top on the red/blue side piece is red. Use R' to turn it away from the red side, so now blue's still matching with blue but red is matching with orange.
3. U' so that the white/blue/red corner piece is right next to the blue/red side piece
4. R so that both pieces are next to each other on top.
5. Insert

Algorithms (white side facing down, orange side facing you): R' U' R U' R' U R

Love quiet cubes too. I must check out the one you got!

Right, yeah! I think that does make sense - thank you very much. I must look into it more - maybe there are specific white-on-top cases where I'm struggling.

P.S. Can recommend the TengYun!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 18, 2021, 01:53:43 pm
Managed my second best time over the weekend (29.something). Not a PB, but glad the sub 30 without CFOP wasn't a one-off!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on January 19, 2021, 12:56:39 pm
Same question as above! Are you using finger tricks? They really helped to bring down my times.

Otherwise, I think my biggest improvements recently have been based on the cross - so planning ahead your moves to try to get the cross finished as efficiently as possible. I was eating up a lot of time because I hadn't properly planned ahead through inspection (still a work in progress!).

😍

Ohhh I see.. I’ll try to use inspection of my cube more often!
I don’t think I am using finger tricks at the moment… I’ll try to give that a go though..

Thanks!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 20, 2021, 05:22:24 pm
Got a new PB! 26.11. :)

Scramble:

F' R' B' D L2 U B' L' D2 F B R B' R' U' R2 F L' U R2
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Coolmate on January 20, 2021, 05:38:04 pm
Got a new PB! 26.11. :)

Scramble:

F' R' B' D L2 U B' L' D2 F B R B' R' U' R2 F L' U R2

Great job J41! You're getting faster :)
What's your next time goal you want to achieve?
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 20, 2021, 05:42:59 pm
Great job J41! You're getting faster :)
What's your next time goal you want to achieve?

Sub 25! Honestly surprised I've managed to break the PB again whilst putting off CFOP so aggressively lol.

Thanks Coolmate. :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 24, 2021, 02:08:33 pm
Hmm, 26.27 this morning. So close to PB (26.11), and yet so far!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on January 27, 2021, 05:31:30 pm
26.61 just now, including big time lock-ups. Ooft. Could have been a PB for sure - spooked myself when I saw the lucky scramble.

EDIT: And then 27.18 on the next solve. Ooft. Looking forward to getting 25.something.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on February 14, 2021, 02:19:56 pm
23.13 today. Pretty chuffed.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on February 22, 2021, 06:14:02 pm
22.57. :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on February 26, 2021, 06:49:41 pm
20.53. Almost sub 20 PB.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Poet on February 26, 2021, 06:54:55 pm
20.53. Almost sub 20 PB.
Obsessed 🤩🤩🤩
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: caleb.clark21 on March 05, 2021, 10:02:54 am
Speedcubing gang!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on March 05, 2021, 10:32:36 am
Speedcubing gang!

yeeeeee!

Do you cube?

P.S. Welcome to ATAR Notes! 🎉
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on March 15, 2021, 06:05:06 pm
Current PBs:

- Single: 20.02
- AO5: 28.27
- AO12: 30.29
- AO100: 32.85

That single PB (20.02) is hilariously close to sub 20. I just got it now - I'm pleased, but so it was so frustrating at the same time.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Coolmate on March 15, 2021, 06:17:16 pm
Current PBs:

- Single: 20.02
- AO5: 28.27
- AO12: 30.29
- AO100: 32.85

That single PB (20.02) is hilariously close to sub 20. I just got it now - I'm pleased, but so it was so frustrating at the same time.

Wow! This is really fast, good job ;D
Do you have a time you are aiming for next?
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on March 15, 2021, 09:02:58 pm
Wow! This is really fast, good job ;D
Do you have a time you are aiming for next?

Knocking off 0.03 seconds would be great! Haha. Otherwise, a sub 30 average of 100 would be neat.

Thanks Coolmate. :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on March 20, 2021, 11:10:59 am
16.95 PB. :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on April 09, 2021, 10:40:24 am
Current PBs:

- Single: 20.02
- AO5: 28.27
- AO12: 30.29
- AO100: 32.85

That single PB (20.02) is hilariously close to sub 20. I just got it now - I'm pleased, but so it was so frustrating at the same time.

- Single: 16.95
- AO5: 26.00
- AO12: 27.89
- AO100: 30.14
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on May 07, 2021, 04:16:55 pm
- Single: 16.95
- AO5: 26.00
- AO12: 27.89
- AO100: 30.14

- Single: 16.95
- AO5: 24.55
- AO12: 25.69
- AO100: 28.71
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on June 03, 2021, 02:59:57 pm
- Single: 16.95
- AO5: 24.55
- AO12: 25.69
- AO100: 28.71

- Single: 0.16.28
- MO3: 0.22.71
- AO5: 0.24.20
- AO12: 0.25.65
- AO25: 0.26.79
- AO50: 0.27.83
- AO100: 0.28.10
- AO200: 0.28.53
- AO500: 0.28.74
- AO1000: 0.29.04
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on July 08, 2021, 01:32:16 pm
Heyo!
So its been ages since I last came on here. But I’ve been practising and I’m proud to say that I’ve managed to get my best single lowest time of 52 seconds!!! My average is 1:15 ish (still not that great haha). But I have just started learning CFOP.

I was wondering if the cube that I’m using makes any difference? If so, are there any other cubes that you’d recommend for speed cubing?
Thanks
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: schoolstudent115 on July 08, 2021, 02:47:29 pm
Heyo!
So its been ages since I last came on here. But I’ve been practising and I’m proud to say that I’ve managed to get my best single lowest time of 52 seconds!!! My average is 1:15 ish (still not that great haha). But I have just started learning CFOP.

I was wondering if the cube that I’m using makes any difference? If so, are there any other cubes that you’d recommend for speed cubing?
Thanks
Nice stuff. The cube choice, as long as it is a speed cube shouldn't make too much of a difference. At your stage, it is more about technique and the method you use. The original brand rubiks cube is really bad for speedcubing, and even a cheap speedcube should be just fine. My cube is around $20 (not exactly cheap, but it's quite reasonable considering the alternatives), I haven't cubed for MANY months now, but my last ao12 was about 19 seconds. If I try do it now, I get sub-25 so I'd need to get back into it again to reach the sub-20 level again.

You will find your times will get significantly faster as your F2L improves (this is probably the hardest part). My f2l took more than 30 seconds at first, but over time you know (almost algorithmically) how to do each case by muscle memory. Now my F2L is sub-10. (F2L is usually 50% of the time once you reach steady-state I believe). OLL is quite unimportant until much later IMO.
My cross is still embarrassingly bad as I never bothered learning how to do it well, but my F2L I think compensates for it.

Also just a general tip for anyone doing F2L, once you are comfortable with each case and have good muscle memory, try slow down and look ahead (just slow down regardless), because I am not good at look ahead, yet slowing down actually shaved off like 15-20% of my F2L time (counterintuitively).
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on July 08, 2021, 03:47:09 pm
LOVE seeing new posts in this thread. 😍

Heyo!
So its been ages since I last came on here. But I’ve been practising and I’m proud to say that I’ve managed to get my best single lowest time of 52 seconds!!! My average is 1:15 ish (still not that great haha). But I have just started learning CFOP.

I was wondering if the cube that I’m using makes any difference? If so, are there any other cubes that you’d recommend for speed cubing?
Thanks

Awesome work! Fantastic stuff.

CFOP - how are you learning? YouTube videos? Maybe we can work together! I'm still mainly using the beginner method because I'm lazy, but I'm learning CFOP on the side (mostly just intuitive F2L), and probably average about 45 seconds using CFOP so far. If we learn together, maybe we can keep motivation easier!

As for cubes, I agree with schoolstudent115 that any decent speedcube should be fine at this stage, but I do definitely thinking different cubes will suit you better than others. I have 15 3x3s at the moment (lol) - a list below if you're interested (in order of acquisition).

Spoiler
- DaYan ZhanChi V5
- MoYu AoLong V2
- MoYu WeiLong V1
- MoYu AoLong V2 - pink version
- Ganspuzzle GAN357 (before GAN was good/flagship)
- DaYan TengYun V1
- MoFang JiaoShi RS3M 2020
- QiYi Warrior S
- MoFang JiaoShi Mini 45mm
- Yuxin Little Magic
- DaYan GuHong V4
- YongJun YuLong V2
- GoCube Edge (smart cube)
- MoFang JiaoShi MeiLong 3M
- GAN 11 M Duo

What cube do you use at the moment? Cube preference depends on a lot of things, including setup (tensioning and lubes etc.), but honestly I just wouldn't worry about any of that in the slightest at the moment. All things considered (particularly price), my main recommendation would probably the the MeiLong 3M ($10AUD) (everybody absolutely raves about the RS3M 2020 ($13.50), which I also find good and is a similar price, but I just seem to vibe with the MeiLong 3M more).

Nice stuff. The cube choice, as long as it is a speed cube shouldn't make too much of a difference. At your stage, it is more about technique and the method you use. The original brand rubiks cube is really bad for speedcubing, and even a cheap speedcube should be just fine. My cube is around $20 (not exactly cheap, but it's quite reasonable considering the alternatives), I haven't cubed for MANY months now, but my last ao12 was about 19 seconds. If I try do it now, I get sub-25 so I'd need to get back into it again to reach the sub-20 level again.

You will find your times will get significantly faster as your F2L improves (this is probably the hardest part). My f2l took more than 30 seconds at first, but over time you know (almost algorithmically) how to do each case by muscle memory. Now my F2L is sub-10. (F2L is usually 50% of the time once you reach steady-state I believe). OLL is quite unimportant until much later IMO.
My cross is still embarrassingly bad as I never bothered learning how to do it well, but my F2L I think compensates for it.

Also just a general tip for anyone doing F2L, once you are comfortable with each case and have good muscle memory, try slow down and look ahead (just slow down regardless), because I am not good at look ahead, yet slowing down actually shaved off like 15-20% of my F2L time (counterintuitively).

Awesome post - thank you. A few questions:

- Out of interest, what's your main at the moment?
- How did you learn F2L? And did you learn the beginner method prior to that? As I've said previously in this thread, I'm having difficulty motivating myself to learn it after 10+ years of the beginner method only lol. I haven't even thought about OLL or PLL.
- Really good advice on look-ahead.

Thanks again for your post - would love to hear more about your experiences.

- Single: 0.16.28
- MO3: 0.22.71
- AO5: 0.24.20
- AO12: 0.25.65
- AO25: 0.26.79
- AO50: 0.27.83
- AO100: 0.28.10
- AO200: 0.28.53
- AO500: 0.28.74
- AO1000: 0.29.04

And a quick update on this:

- Single: 0.16.28
- MO3: 0.21.40
- AO5: 0.22.33
- AO12: 0.24.06
- AO25: 0.25.32
- AO50: 0.25.80
- AO100: 0.26.66
- AO200: 0.27.31
- AO500: 0.27.67
- AO1000: 0.28.00
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on July 08, 2021, 06:30:31 pm
LOVE seeing new posts in this thread. 😍

Awesome work! Fantastic stuff.

CFOP - how are you learning? YouTube videos? Maybe we can work together! I'm still mainly using the beginner method because I'm lazy, but I'm learning CFOP on the side (mostly just intuitive F2L), and probably average about 45 seconds using CFOP so far. If we learn together, maybe we can keep motivation easier!

As for cubes, I agree with schoolstudent115 that any decent speedcube should be fine at this stage, but I do definitely thinking different cubes will suit you better than others. I have 15 3x3s at the moment (lol) - a list below if you're interested (in order of acquisition).

Spoiler
- DaYan ZhanChi V5
- MoYu AoLong V2
- MoYu WeiLong V1
- MoYu AoLong V2 - pink version
- Ganspuzzle GAN357 (before GAN was good/flagship)
- DaYan TengYun V1
- MoFang JiaoShi RS3M 2020
- QiYi Warrior S
- MoFang JiaoShi Mini 45mm
- Yuxin Little Magic
- DaYan GuHong V4
- YongJun YuLong V2
- GoCube Edge (smart cube)
- MoFang JiaoShi MeiLong 3M
- GAN 11 M Duo

What cube do you use at the moment? Cube preference depends on a lot of things, including setup (tensioning and lubes etc.), but honestly I just wouldn't worry about any of that in the slightest at the moment. All things considered (particularly price), my main recommendation would probably the the MeiLong 3M ($10AUD) (everybody absolutely raves about the RS3M 2020 ($13.50), which I also find good and is a similar price, but I just seem to vibe with the MeiLong 3M more).

Hey!
Omg I’d love to learn CFOP with someone else! I definitely feel you on the motivation. I opened a YouTube video on it a week ago and literally gave up because I couldn’t understand anything they were saying.  ;D
I’ve been using this video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzVpWb5XdU&ab_channel=TheEpicCuber
I’m also still in the process of learning finger tricks, and I’m highly inefficient in the way I use the cube (eg: I turn it a lot, and I can’t move the bottom face very fluently with my fingers).
I have actually just been using a standard cube from the ‘Rubik’s company that my Dad gave me hahaha  ;D . I never realised there was a whole science behind the cube til just recently, but I ordered a GAN 356 Air SM cube just yesterday. A friend of mine was also using it and recommended it to me.

Thank you for these recommendations though! I will definitely invest in them in the future when I’ve adjusted my hands to an actual speed cube!  :)

I had no idea there was a beginner method. How have you been learning this?

Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on July 09, 2021, 10:40:48 am
Hey!
Omg I’d love to learn CFOP with someone else! I definitely feel you on the motivation. I opened a YouTube video on it a week ago and literally gave up because I couldn’t understand anything they were saying.  ;D
I’ve been using this video on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzVpWb5XdU&ab_channel=TheEpicCuber
I’m also still in the process of learning finger tricks, and I’m highly inefficient in the way I use the cube (eg: I turn it a lot, and I can’t move the bottom face very fluently with my fingers).
I have actually just been using a standard cube from the ‘Rubik’s company that my Dad gave me hahaha  ;D . I never realised there was a whole science behind the cube til just recently, but I ordered a GAN 356 Air SM cube just yesterday. A friend of mine was also using it and recommended it to me.

Thank you for these recommendations though! I will definitely invest in them in the future when I’ve adjusted my hands to an actual speed cube!  :)

I had no idea there was a beginner method. How have you been learning this?



Right on. I've actually never used a 356 Air SM, but that's a great cube, from all reports. Would love to hear how you find it - it'll be chalk and cheese with the original cube you've been using (and will be much easier to turn with finger tricks, too).

I originally learnt the beginner method (which is IMO conceptually easier and less dependent on intuition) from a friend in Year 10, and then followed that up with YouTube videos. One of the better YouCubers (and probably the most well known, I think?) is JPerm.

* Beginner method tutorial
* F2L tutorial

But I recommend learning CFOP as early as possible to avoid the situation I'm currently in (where I need to sort of unlearn the beginner method)!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: schoolstudent115 on July 09, 2021, 01:41:19 pm
Awesome post - thank you. A few questions:

- Out of interest, what's your main at the moment?
- How did you learn F2L? And did you learn the beginner method prior to that? As I've said previously in this thread, I'm having difficulty motivating myself to learn it after 10+ years of the beginner method only lol. I haven't even thought about OLL or PLL.
- Really good advice on look-ahead.

Thanks again for your post - would love to hear more about your experiences.
My main is a Weilong GTS 2M which I think I got at a really good discount. It is generally quite smooth, a possible weakness might be that the corner cutting is probably sub-par compared to other cubes.

I did in fact learn the beginners method before CFOP (I think I may have gotten it down to 50 seconds or so before moving on). In terms of CFOP, I really just focused on F2L. I initially learned intuitive f2l, I believe the video was from Z3Cubing. My f2l was really slow as I mentioned previously, but I found that after a few days of using intuitive f2l, I got very comfortable with it. Then, I learned some basic f2l algorithms (some of the easy common cases). THEN, I learned 2-look OLL and PLL (together this is 4Look last layer) (I had an obsession with learning algorithms lol). Now, some may argue I would have been better off spending that time improving my f2l, but I think 4-look LL is not that hard to learn, and did shave off a lot of time.

In terms of progressing from there, my recommendations are practice f2l, learn some more basic f2l algorithms (no need to learn all of them). Then if you want, learn full PLL, but I would advise against learning full OLL (the time saves are minimal and there are like 57 algs for this). Also, start learning to do the cross with it being faced down (if you're not doing that already), I regret not doing this earlier as it can save time on the cross AND you can actually significantly reduce the transition time from cross to f2l. From personal experience, the start of learning cfop to now, the times were like 50 secs --> 1 minute (f2l learning curve) --> 50 secs (with just a little practice) --> 40 seconds (once I got comfortable with f2l) --> 30 seconds (got fluent with f2l and learned 4LLL) --> 25 seconds (this took a while to get to) --> 20 seconds (I was stuck at ~23 seconds then I slowed down and within the same day it went down to like 21).
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on July 10, 2021, 01:46:45 pm
Right on. I've actually never used a 356 Air SM, but that's a great cube, from all reports. Would love to hear how you find it - it'll be chalk and cheese with the original cube you've been using (and will be much easier to turn with finger tricks, too).

I originally learnt the beginner method (which is IMO conceptually easier and less dependent on intuition) from a friend in Year 10, and then followed that up with YouTube videos. One of the better YouCubers (and probably the most well known, I think?) is JPerm.

* Beginner method tutorial
* F2L tutorial

But I recommend learning CFOP as early as possible to avoid the situation I'm currently in (where I need to sort of unlearn the beginner method)!

Thanks for these links! I have seen these before, but I’ve only just started to get the hang of this method. I’ve made a small list of some things that I need to start doing to shave more time off my solves (and so that you guys can hold me accountable for these!):
1. Solve the white cross facing down immediately, as I think schoolstudent115 mentioned (I previously used to do the noob thing of forming a daisy on the top yellow face, then rotating each paired white edge down to the bottom white face  :P).
2. Practising F2L a LOT more (also mentioned - I only just learnt how to do this, and sometimes I take a bit of time to plan out my moves and identify my F2L pairs.
3. Practise on the speed cube!!

I forgot to mention, I received the speed cube I ordered today!! (GAN 356 Air SM), and I have to say, the difference between it and the standard Rubik’s cube is like chalk and cheese! It moves SUPER smoothly (almost effortlessly), and I get the feeling that finger tricks will be a LOT easier to perform on this cube!!! But yeah, I’m pretty chuffed with it, and I can’t wait to start practising on it!  ;D

There was one thing I had a question about though… I watched a few YouTube videos on speed cubing that mentioned permutations? (like R perm and T perm). I’m guessing based off the name that these are used in PLL, but I’m wondering whether they are worth looking at and memorising, or if I should just worry about them at a later stage when I’ve gotten F2L and OLL down first.

Thanks guys!!!
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on July 14, 2021, 07:52:30 am
Can't wait to hear how you're finding the GAN after first impressions! :D

Re: perms, I'd focus on the other things you've mentioned first - so cross, F2L etc. I'm at the same stage - I haven't learnt any perm algorithms yet.
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Jinju-san on August 01, 2021, 09:59:36 am
Can't wait to hear how you're finding the GAN after first impressions! :D

Re: perms, I'd focus on the other things you've mentioned first - so cross, F2L etc. I'm at the same stage - I haven't learnt any perm algorithms yet.

Alrighty, sounds good.

I’ve been practising my F2Ls and the cross for the past few weeks, and I’ve been able to bring down my Personal Best to 42.73 seconds. I think using the new cube has improved the overall smoothness of my solves significantly. Corner-cutting is a breeze compared to before, and I’ve found that I’m not having to deal with my previous cube’s stiffness as much, which is really nice (although the smoothness of it was a little hard to get used to at first).

I was wondering if you guys had any tips on improving consistency? Because for me, I often find that my times fluctuate a LOT (one might be 48 seconds, and the next will go all the way to 1:15 seconds!). I think part of the reason for that is that I haven’t quite mastered the last phase of the beginner’s method.

Thanks!  :)
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on October 07, 2021, 04:03:59 pm
- Single: 0.16.28
- MO3: 0.21.40
- AO5: 0.22.33
- AO12: 0.24.06
- AO25: 0.25.32
- AO50: 0.25.80
- AO100: 0.26.66
- AO200: 0.27.31
- AO500: 0.27.67
- AO1000: 0.28.00

A few months on:

- Single: 0.13.50
- MO3: 0.18.91
- AO5: 0.19.73
- AO12: 0.22.16
- AO25: 0.23.18
- AO50: 0.24.55
- AO100: 0.24.72
- AO200: 0.25.24
- AO500: 0.25.69
- AO1000: 0.25.99
Title: Re: So I've become kinda partial to speedcubing
Post by: Joseph41 on June 02, 2022, 12:31:50 pm
A few months on:

- Single: 0.13.50
- MO3: 0.18.91
- AO5: 0.19.73
- AO12: 0.22.16
- AO25: 0.23.18
- AO50: 0.24.55
- AO100: 0.24.72
- AO200: 0.25.24
- AO500: 0.25.69
- AO1000: 0.25.99
- Single: 0.10.01
- MO3: 0.17.01
- AO5: 0.17.99
- AO12: 0.19.80
- AO25: 0.20.74
- AO50: 0.20.95
- AO100: 0.21.37
- AO200: 0.21.71
- AO500: 0.22.52
- AO1K: 0.22.86
- AO2K: 0.23.11
- AO5K: 0.23.30
- AO10K: 0.23.62